Levels of Online MBA Admission Requirements
Posted By admin on February 11, 2012
Get to know the spectrum of online MBA admission processes and how it affects prospective students.
Simply put, some online MBA admission requirements are stricter and more competitive than others. It is generally your responsibility to find out the requirements and decide whether the chances of being accepted at any institution are worth the effort. Besides, you do not want to waste your time and effort going through demanding paperwork only to realize you are not accepted.
What are the online degree MBA admission requirements? Before going into the specifics, you have to know that there are three levels of admission processes – low, medium and high standards. It is best to study the admission requirements of every online school you are interested in and how these could affect your future career.
Online MBA schools with low admission requirements accept about any applicant so long as the applicant has a bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, schools with medium admission requirements still have a high percentage of applicants that get accepted but applicants have to pass more hoops to meet the requirements. Compared to ‘median’ programs, schools with high admission requirements are definitely more selective, requiring applicants with a longer list of specific requirements.
Among the for-profit schools with low admission requirements are University of Phoenix, Jones International and Capella University. These three schools do not require interested students to take the GMAT nor do they oblige applicants to have much more than a bachelor’s degree to be accepted. However, while these schools do not require GMAT scores, some schools require all new online MBA students to earn one-credit MBA introductory courses.
In terms of undergraduate degree requirements, these schools stipulate that prospective students’ official transcripts should specify a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Seemingly, these schools all have requirements that give applicants a very likely chance of being accepted. However, the truth is, their online programs are not any easier than those MBA degree programs with more stringent requirements.
Online schools with median admission requirements often specify that students should take the GMAT but do not stipulate a specific score to be achieved. They also require a number of years of work experience and other general requirements such as an essay, an interview, recommendation and resume. Some schools that belong to this category include Florida State University, University of Massachusetts, Portland State University and Regis University.
Schools with high admission requirements have very similar requirements with the difference that their admission requirements are more detailed. To translate, you need to jump through several hoops to be accepted. Some schools with more stringent requirements are the University of Florida, Indiana University and Penn State World Campus (these schools have some of the highest tuition costs).
Applicants are evaluated individually. Some special considerations are given to professional experience and achievements, as well as the potential for career growth and advancement. Other considerations include academic success and verbal skills evident in the application essay and admission interview.
In general, many online MBA schools with high admission requirements offer lock-step cohort programs that only accept a specified number of students each term. The program administrators serve as gatekeepers who counsel applicants on their chances of being accepted before they go through the whole admissions process. However, whether the school has high or medium admission requirements, it all depends on the school.
Nowadays, many MBA students are searching for programs that allow them to keep their jobs while earning their graduate business degrees. As employers and students become more aware of the availability of quality online MBA programs, the competition could be tougher for being accepted to ‘high’ or ‘median’ schools. Also, it could mean that schools with low admission requirements will continue to have an increase in the number of applicants.
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